Penn Farm Opens as Sustainable Urban Agriculture Center
Delaware Greenways
Delaware Greenways, the Trustees of the New Castle Common, and the Colonial School District will be opening the Historic Penn Farm, located at 791 Frenchtown Road in New Castle, as a sustainable urban agriculture center managed by Delaware Greenways. The Farm has supported agriculture for over 300 years, however, it has never been open to the public.
The mission of the Penn Farm is to improve the health and wellness of Delawareans through the sale, production, and promotion of our state's finest produce and agricultural products.
The farm will provide public programming and events, and will take advantage of a unique partnership between Delaware Greenways and William Penn High School that will integrate students into all aspects of the farm's operations.
Delaware Greenway’s vision is to educate, document, interpret, and perpetuate the rich heritage of Penn Farm for the benefit of future generations and the betterment of our community.
The farm is a collaboration between growers dedicated to providing local foods, seed and other plant and animal products developed through sustainable and organic farming methods to local markets. Educators are committed to teaching the importance of locally grown food and animal products as part of a healthy and active lifestyle.
The Tract 6 Produce stand--named for its designation as the sixth tract of land delineated by the Trustees after bequest by William Penn's progeny--has been designed to provide access to healthy, affordable and fresh Delaware grown produce in a setting that facilitates youth leadership in a variety of educational areas.
Tract 6 Produce will focus on the sale of premium Delaware fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and other agricultural products. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Photo - Delaware Greenways
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Major Greening Renovations Completed in ACME Parking Lot
Delaware Center for Horticulture
The Delaware Center for Horticulture (TheDCH) announced the completion of a stormwater mitigation project at the ACME grocery store in Wilmington’s Trolley Square neighborhood.
The 9,000 square foot system captures an estimated 70% of the site’s annual rainfall, providing relief to the city’s combined stormwater and sewer system and helping to preserve the integrity of the region’s drinking water.
The landscaping and engineering system is designed to filter, slow and absorb rain that falls on the roof of ACME’s building and 1.42 acre parking lot. It includes 19 large shade trees, more than 2,800 shrubs and smaller perennial plants, a rain garden, and a series of underground holding tanks – while maintaining almost the same number of the parking spaces.
In 2008 TheDCH received seed money from the U.S. Forest Service to create a model project. Ground breaking began in the ACME parking lot in 2010. The $180,000 installation will save the grocery store more than $1,500 in perpetuity, nearly halfof its annual storm water utility fee,thanks to a City of Wilmington stormwater mitigation tax credit.
Since 2007 the Storm Water Credit program has provided tax relief for business property owners who take measures to reduce street flooding and rainwater runoff into Wilmington’s sewers. The ACME project is unique as the first qualifying project where storm water management features were designed and installed on an existing site.
“This project is a great example of how partnerships and diverse funding sources can produce results that achieve multiple goals,” said Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker. “The parking lot greening renovations enhance the recent $3 million dollar investment that ACME made in its Trolley Square store. Working together, we are addressing important environmental issues, beautifying the neighborhood, and creating jobs. We hope this project, and the incentive to reduce storm water fees, will inspire other land owners in Wilmington to consider similar partnerships.”
In addition to slowing and filtering rainwater, the ACME parking lot showcases a variety of other environmental improvements and public benefits, including:
Cool shade – Large shade trees cool off urban heat islands (caused by buildings and asphalt) and reduce air conditioning costs.
Fresh air – Trees absorb greenhouse gasses and remove airborne pollution particles.
Local economy – Attractive landscaping improves property values and ups business district revenues.
Reduced flooding – The rain garden and stormwater system can capture more than 5,000 gallons, improving wet conditions for pedestrians and motorists at the N. Dupont St. and Delaware Ave. intersection.
Public education – The site incorporates a permanent interpretive sign explaining how the parking lot system works and how it improves water quality.
“ACME is committed to doing our part to further environmental stewardship,” said Dan Sanders, president, ACME. “Thanks to the great work by TheDCH, we not only have a beautiful-looking lot for our Trolley Square customers to enjoy, but one that will help protect the region’s drinking water.”
“The New Castle Conservation District Board always appreciates the opportunity to support smartly designed and well executed “green’ projects in the urban landscape,” said Kevin Donnelly, District Coordinator, New Castle County Conservation District. “TheDCH’s ACME project demonstrates how the Conservation District can leverage its Conservation Cost-Share funds with other local and federal sources of funding with a terrific bang for the buck.”
“The public education value of this high-traffic installation is immeasurable,” said Pam Sapko, Executive Director of TheDCH. “Thousands of people will learn about the environmental benefits of green infrastructure like this as they walk by or shop in the store. We are also pleased that the project qualifies for EPA’s Rain Gardens for the Bays program, and that the trees planted here count towards TheDCH’s goal of 20,000 Trees by 2020 for Wilmington.”
The greening renovations at the Trolley Square Acme parking lot were made possible by the generous support of the New Castle County Conservation District, the U.S. Forest Service, the City of Wilmington’s Office of Economic Development and Department of Public Works, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, Acme, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Photo - Delaware Center for Horticulture
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